protecting yourself from the lightning

elexes

with all the lightning in dublin that last few days im thinking of finding ways to protect my computers. im getting dsl and basicly im trying to find a way to stop it comming down the phone line .

anyone got any ids ?

Thorbar

Not trying to be pedantic here but why don't you just unplug everything during the storm. Unless you need to stay connected for work reasons seems like the easiest option to me.

BloodBath

Ok i might be wrong but I don't think you will have to worry about it coming down the phone line.

Dsl lines are all underground are they not?

However if your worried about a power surge through the plug you might consider something as simple as a power surge protection multi plug adaptor thingy. They are cheap enough and can be bought in Argos I think.


BloodBath

Winters

Originally posted by BloodBath
Dsl lines are all underground are they not?

Its the last mile that isint. DSL runs along normal telephone lines so it will usually be above ground from the exchange to your house. As your telephones lines are.

BloodBath

Aye, but the chances of your local exchange getting hit and a power surge frying your p.c. are pretty slim.

You have more chance of getting run over by a steam roller(FACT)




BloodBath

Winters

Originally posted by BloodBath
Aye, but the chances of your local exchange getting hit and a power surge frying your p.c. are pretty slim.

You have more chance of getting run over by a steam roller(FACT)

:rolleyes:

eh... the lines from the exchange to your house are over ground. They *could* get hit by lightning. Causing a burst of power to hit and fry your modem.

So back to my post above and the answer to your question Bloodbath, the last bit of the DSL line from your house to the exchange is (usually) overground.

BloodBath

SteamRoller..............:p

Man the smilies suck.

I know what you meant Winters. I'm sure there are surge protectors for your phone lines too but seriosly how many people do you hear about that have got fried while talking on the phone or having their p.c. fried from a phoneline. I was joking about the steamroller thing but it's really not likely.



BloodBath

Villain

Originally posted by BloodBath

I know what you meant Winters. I'm sure there are surge protectors for your phone lines too but seriosly how many people do you hear about that have got fried while talking on the phone or having their p.c. fried from a phoneline.

BloodBath

Modems get blown very easily when there connected to the phone line during storms. Fax's blow too.

Obviously the best thing to do is unplug the phone line.

Or get a surge protector that also has a connection for the phone line. There not that hard to find I have one and have had no trouble.

El_MUERkO

Surge protection + properly earthed = w1n

Lucutus

Originally posted by Winters

eh... the lines from the exchange to your house are over ground. They *could* get hit by lightning. Causing a burst of power to hit and fry your modem.

This is exactly what happened to my modem around lunchtime yesterday, lightning, loud clap of thunder, *fizzle* sound from the PC.

The telephone cable leads from the PC to the window, up to about 12 feet high outside, down to the end of the garden and off up the telephone poles towards the exchange.

The one thing I don't have lying around is a spare modem.

:mad:

BloodBath

Hmm ok I stand corrected. It's more common than I thought.

Must remember to take the phone cable out of the modem next time there is a storm.


BloodBath

elexes

they are very common indeed over the last year ive had 44 computers brougt to me with probloms from lightning going down the phone line some destroying motherboards aswell

ixoy

I should be OK from all this though right - I'm in an appartment block (IFSC) so I assume the lines are run underground... Oh and in case you think it doesn't happen, I'm just after meeting an old classmate who is after buying a modem because his original got fizzled..

Villain

sorry ixoy but I'd imagine that line isn't under the ground all the time, it be a lot more sensible to assume you are at risk.

RicardoSmith

My uncles office had all their phone lines faxes phones and modems blown by lightning. I've had a few systems blown from power spikes and surges that jumped the power line to the phone line, since you'll notice that they are offen located beside one another on the wall. I've since got a surge protector with protection for the phone line on it. I don't think its overkill since I lost about £400 worth of gear from damage from poor AC supply in my house. Not fun!

L1011

heh, my cousin has a box of modems that have suffered lightning and other problems - he lives on an island in donegal... used to get decent hardware modems, now he gets the cheapest winmodem he can lay his hands on...

Paddy20

Large selection of Belkin surge protectors available from www.vikingdirect.ie

P:ninja: